Author Archive for Editor

“You’re about to lose your video games for a week, young lady.” More often than not, a warning like this is all it takes. The prospect of a week without gaming will catch the attention of most children who love to play video games. Meanwhile, the parents may appreciate the chance to withhold something they’re […]

Imagine your kids are grown and living elsewhere. You recently had surgery to repair a heart valve and you fear you may end up in a wheelchair. You’ve developed cataracts and had to give up driving. Your lack of mobility makes you feel angry, isolated, and frustrated. You used to love going to church, playing […]

We’ve all been there, right? Those moments of frustration and embarrassment when our seemingly ungrateful children frown at a birthday present or complain of boredom on an extravagant family vacation. You wonder if anyone is listening to all of the thank-you reminders and discussions of family blessings. Don’t fear. You’re not alone. Gratitude is a […]

Whether you are a newly minted mom, new to your community, or feeling isolated for another reason, you may wonder how to connect with other moms. Parenting in isolation without moral support is lonely and emotionally debilitating. One of the most important ways to take care of yourself (and by extension, your family) is to […]

It’s time to pick out some pumpkins and brush up on your apple-bobbing skills! There are plenty of exciting ways to enjoy Halloween with your family. Do you love starting new seasonal traditions or prefer celebrating the old-fashioned way? Take the quiz below to find out your Halloween style. 1. Your spouse comes home from […]

By J. Shane Mercer Watching your children grow up is a wonderful thing. And not in that syrupy sweet, slow-motion, fuzz filter way that they show you on commercials where they’re trying to tug at your heart strings to sell you really expensive kids clothes because childhood is a magical time, and one day they’ll […]

By Gwen Rockwood I crawled into bed last night earlier than usual feeling completely exhausted. That swim meet really wore me out. But I didn’t swim a single stroke. The kids did, though. They swam freestyle races, backstroke races, breaststroke races, and a couple of relay races, too. And even though my husband and I […]

By Gary Wolsky, President/CEO The Village Family Service Center Steelers linebacker James Harrison wrote on his Instagram account he is taking away the participation trophies awarded to his two sons—ages 8 and 6—until they “EARN a real trophy.” Finally someone with some common sense speaks about the political correctness that’s infecting our culture. He may […]

Now that we’re all required to buy health insurance thanks to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, it would be nice if we understood what we’re getting, right? Unfortunately, a study published in 2013 in the Journal of Health Affairs raises some serious doubts about whether we really understand what the insurance companies are […]

If someone said you could improve your health by sitting on the couch, you’d want to know more, right? Well, the answer could be the purring furball or the drooling pooch sitting next to you. Some of the perks of owning a pet are well known; there is, of course, unconditional love and constant companionship, […]

Alcohol has become a staple of neighborhood, friend, and family gatherings in our society. Need to relax? It’s time for a drink. Want to celebrate? Must be time for a drink. Want to hang out with friends? Yep, grab another drink. This is all good, until you have a friend who chooses not to drink, […]

The worrisome behavior signs were starting to build for Becky. Her daughter was suddenly disrespectful, mouthy, breaking the rules, and definitely displaying more “attitude” at home. This West Fargo parent says her “mom radar” was going off. But Becky had no real proof her teenage daughter was using illicit drugs. It wasn’t until her older […]

As a parent of children in high school, middle school, and elementary school, it is not unusual to hear the following comments from my children: “I just don’t want to go to school today.” “I had a bad day at school.” “I hate school!” In response, parents are prone to say things like, “Your day […]

Learning to distinguish between reliable and bogus information is a crucial skill in the 21st century. For a brief time, it seemed search engines might help people zero in on accurate, well-researched information. Instead, social media has made it easy to share “news” that has no basis in fact. The proliferation of fake news has […]

Being a dad is awesome except for the parts that aren’t. What are those parts that stink? Here’s a list: 1. The mountains of plastic crud – After a few Christmases, birthdays, and trips to Chuck E. Cheese’s, you realize that basically your kid is getting the same thing over and over. It’s all just […]

Moms like to brag about their kids. It’s a given. It starts with how long the mother labored and how much her baby weighed. It moves on to the first tooth, earliest walker, and those who potty trained before anyone else. And, while many of those early stories are amazing, those are things we all […]

By Gary Wolsky, President/CEO The Village Family Service Center In May, a very quiet but remarkable thing happened in Fargo that, once again, sets us apart in a very positive way from a plague of disrespect that seems to be infecting our country. It was a simple basketball game, a pick-up game by a group […]

Are rude tellers and outrageous fees among your bank’s claims to fame? Enough already! You shouldn’t have to put up with that. There are plenty of other fish, er, banks, in the sea waiting for your business. Why waste your time and money on an institution you hate? You may think switching banks is a […]

Prenuptial agreements have an image problem. We think they’re unromantic and, on that score, it’s hard to argue. However, other perceptions are not as accurate. Take these, for example: “A prenuptial agreement gets couples off to a rocky, unhealthy start.” “Prenuptial agreements usually involve one party taking advantage of the other. Prenups are almost always […]

If the thought of talking about sex with your kids makes you sweat bullets, you’re not alone. More than half of parents haven’t discussed sex with their preteen, according to research from the Kaiser Family Foundation. But, experts say, it’s not something you should skip. “If parents begin having age-appropriate, positive conversations with their child […]